The inaugural Singapore Airshow 2008 was held from 19 February to 24 February 2008, with the first four days reserved for trade visitors at the purpose-built New Changi Exhibition Centre. Changi Exhibition Centre (CEC) is situated on a plot of land just beyond the northern edge perimeter fencing of Changi Air Base (East), which was itself located due east of the nearby Singapore Changi Airport. Besides the usual aerospace exhibits and static displays, the event saw the return of aerobatic flying displays put up by the Airbus A380, RSAF’s Black Knights in their F-16s and the Roulettes of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Background: The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore starting from 2008. The Singapore Airshow was launched as a partnership between Singaporean agencies Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Defence Science and Technology Agency. This is after the relocation of Asian Aerospace away from Singapore to China.

RSAF’s Black Knights – F-16
Photo Credit: Flickr.

The CEC is built on a 30-hectare site off Aviation Park Road. Aviation Park Road, a new service road built to serve the site, branches off from Changi Coast Road and is specially built to also double-up as a taxiway linking the site with the runway at Changi Air Base (East). This provision allows exhibition aircraft to arrive and depart without disrupting operations in Changi Airport.

The fully air-conditioned exhibition hall itself has a total gross floor area of 42,500 m2, spread over three halls on the first floor and a small mezzanine floor. The outdoor exhibition space, 100,000 m2, includes a front plaza measuring 298 by 94 metres in size, and an outdoor display area 355 by 259 metres in size, both of which are located adjacent to the exhibition hall. Outdoor exhibition chalets are located along the waterfront beside the outdoor display area.